Volvo' first offering from its Polestar high performance division, the Polestar 1, will be built at its new plant, which is under construction, in China.

Polestar, the Volvo Group’s in-house brand for performance and electrified vehicles, has taken another step forward in its development with the announcement it will build its new factory in China.

The construction of its new state-of-the-art Polestar Production Center has already started in Chengdu, China, where the company’s first model, the Polestar 1, will be produced.

A Real Performer!

The announcement comes in the wake of the reorganization of the Polestar brand, which prior to this fall had been geared to ing performance parts to enthusiasts interested in tuning up their personal Volvos.

“Following the successful launch of the new Polestar brand in October, construction of the new Polestar Production Center is the next step in turning our plans into reality,” Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar, said.

Demand for electric vehicles is on the rise, particularly in China, which makes this an ideal time for Polestar.

“We are building a production center that is a reflection of our brand. A facility that is modern, progressive, technically advanced and environmentally responsible. The Polestar Production Center will be an embodiment of the Polestar brand.”

The Chinese government is leaning on both its homegrown companies and global giants alike to build more electric vehicles and Polestar has been designated as the Volvo sub-brand for new energy vehicles.

Volkswagen, General Motors, Tesla and Ford Motor Co. have all announced extensive and expensive plans to expand electric car production in China.

The Polestar Production Center, designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snöhetta will be the most environmentally responsible car factory in China, and one of the most efficient in the world, with a target of Gold status in the globally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, designation.

The Polestar Production Center will build the Polestar 1, a Grand Touring Coupé with a 600-hp Electric Performance Hybrid powertrain that also offers 150km of pure electric range — the longest pure electric distance of any hybrid car in the world. Polestar is currently targeting to build a maximum of 500 units per year.

(Volvo relaunching Polestar as “electrified high performance” company. Click Here for the story.)

The Polestar Production Center will also include a customer experience center, staffed by product experts, as well as a customer test track constructed within the campus to enable potential customers to evaluate the car to the extremes not possible on public roads.